Citation

Wang X. Int. J. Health Promot. Educ. 2014; 52(6): 346-354.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Institute of Health Education)

DOI

10.1080/14635240.2014.926217

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Although a growing amount of research has examined the consequences and prevalence of texting while driving, little research has examined the psychological factors that predict intentions to text while driving. Because texting while driving can potentially cause property damages and injure or kill people, it is particularly relevant to the moral aspect of a mobile communication and health behavior. Study 1 was based on a cross-sectional survey of 513 college students who responded to a battery of questions.

RESULTS revealed that participants' empathic concern predicted their feelings of anticipated guilt and internalized moral principle of care, which in turn negatively predicted intentions to text while driving. Study 2 was based on an experimental design where participants were randomly assigned to one of the three imagined conditions (i.e., severe car crash with no injuries, severe injuries with no deaths, and control).

RESULTS revealed that participants anticipated more guilt feelings in the two experimental conditions than in the control condition. However, there was no difference between the experimental conditions in arousing anticipated guilt. Both theoretical and practical implications related to the psychology of mobile communication and anti-texting while driving are discussed.

Language: en